The Color Guard and Color Bearer in
Hardee's Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics

Last modified: 10 June 2003 by Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr.
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WAR DEPARTMENT
March 29, 1855

THE System of Tactics for Light Infantry and Riflemen, prepared under the direction of the War Department by Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel William J. Hardee, of the Cavalry, having been approved by the President, is adopted for the instruction of the troops when acting as Light Infantry or Riflemen, and, under the Act of May 12, 1820, for the observance of the Militia when so employed.

JEFFERSON DAVIS,
Secretary of War

36. In each battalion the color-guard will be composed of eight corporals, and posted on the left of the right centre company, of which company, for the time being, the guard will make a part.

37. The front rank will be composed of a sergeant, to be selected by the colonel, who will be called, for the time, color-bearer, with the two ranking corporals, respectively, on his right and left; the rear rank will be composed of the three corporals next in rank; and the three remaining corporals will be posted in their rear, and on the line of file closers. The left guide of the color- company, when these three last named corporals are in the rank of file closers, will be immediately on their left.

38. In battalions with less than five companies present, there will be no color-guard, and no display of colors, except it may be at reviews.

39. The corporals for the color-guard will be selected from those most distinguished for regularity and precision, as well in their positions under arms as in their marching. The latter advantage, and a just carriage of the person, are to be more particularly sought for in the selection of the color-bearer.

1. Every colonel will labor to habituate his battalion to form line of battle, by night as well as by day, with the greatest possible promptitude.

2. The color-company will generally be designated as the directing company. That, as soon as formed, will be placed on the direction the colonel may have determined for the line of battle. The other companies will form on it, to the right and left, on the principles of successive formations which will be herein prescribed.

3. The color-bearer may have received the color from the hands of the colonel; but if there be daylight, and time, the color will be produced with due solemnity.

4. When the battalion turns out under arms and the color is wanted, a company, other than that of the color, will be put in march to receive and escort it.

5. The march will be in the following order, in quick time, and without music; the field music, followed by the band; the escort in column by platoon, right in front, with arms on the right shoulder, and the color-bearer between the platoons.

6. Arrived in front of the tent or quarters of the colonel, the escort will form line, the field music and band on the right, and arms will be brought to a shoulder.

7. The moment the escort is in line, the color- bearer, preceded by the first lieutenant, and followed by a sergeant of the escort, will go to receive the color.

8. When the color-bearer shall come out, followed by the lieutenant and sergeant, he will halt before the entrance; the escort will present arms and the field music will sound to the color.

9. After some twenty seconds, the captain will cause the sound to cease, arms to be shouldered, and then break by platoon into column; the color- bearer will place himself between the platoons. and the lieutenant and sergeant will resume their posts.

10. The escort will march back to the battalion to the sound of music in quick time, and in the same order as above, the guide on the right. The march will be so conducted that when the escort arrives at one hundred and fifty paces in front of the right of the battalion, the direction of the march will be parallel to its front, and when the color arrives nearly opposite its place in line, the column will change direction to the left, and the right guide will direct himself on the centre of the battalion.

11. Arrived at the distance of twenty paces from the battalion, the escort will halt, and the music cease; the colonel will place himself six paces before the centre of the battalion, the color-bearer will approach the colonel ' by the front, in quick time when at the distance of ten paces, he will halt. the colonel will cause arms to be presented, and to the color to be sounded, which being executed, the color-bearer will take his place in the front rank of the color-guard, and the battalion, by command, shoulder arms.

12 The escort, field music, and band, will return in quick time to their several places in line of battle, marching by the rear of the battalion.

13. The color will be escorted back to the colonel's tent or quarters in the above order.

38. The color-guard will not fire, but reserve itself for the defence of the color.

39. The colonel, wishing the fire by company to be executed, will command:

40. At the first command, the captains and covering sergeants will take the positions indicated in the school of the company No. 49.

41. The color and its guard will step back at the same time, so as to bring the front rank of the guard in a line with the rear rank of the battalion. This rule is general for all the different firings.

42. At the second command, the odd numbered companies will commence to fire; their captains wi11 each give the commands prescribed in the school of the company No. 50, observing to precede the command company by that of first, third, fifth, or seventh, according to the number of each.

43. The captains of the even numbered companies will give, in their turn, the same commands, observing to precede them by the number of their respective companies.

44. In order that the odd numbered companies way not all fire at once, their captains will observe, but only for the first discharge, to give the command fire one after another; thus, the captain of the third company will not give the command fire until he has heard the fire of the first company; the captain of the fifth will observe the same rule with respect to the third, and the captain of the seventh the same rule with respect to the fifth.

45. The colonel will cause the fire to cease by the sound to cease firing, at this sound, the men will execute what is prescribed in the school of the company No. 63; at the sound, for officers take their places after firing, the captains, covering sergeants, and color-guard, will promptly resume their places in line of battle: this rule is general for all the firings.

53. When the colonel shall wish the battalion to fire to the rear, he will command:

54. At the first command, the captains, covering sergeants, and file closers will execute what has been prescribed in the school of the company No.69; the color-bearer will pass into the rear rank, and for this purpose, the corporal of his file will step before the corporal next on his right to let the color-bearer pass, and will then take his place in the front rank; the lieutenant colonel, adjutant, major, sergeant major, and the music will place themselves before the front rank, and face to the rear, each opposite his place in the line of battle?the first two passing around the right, and the others around the left of the battalion.'

55. At the third command, the battalion will face about; the captains and covering sergeants observing what is prescribed in the school of the company No. 70.

56. The battalion facing thus by the rear rank, the colonel will cause it to execute the different fires by the same commands as if it were faced by the front rank.

57. The right and left wings will retain the same designations, although faced about; the companies also will preserve their former designations, as first, second, third, &c.

58. The fire by file will commence on the left of each company, now become the right.

59. The fire by rank will commence by the front rank, now become the rear rank. This rank will preserve its denomination.

60. The captains, covering sergeants, and color-guard will, at the first command given by the colonel, take the places prescribed for them in the fires, with the front rank leading.

61. The colonel, after firing to the rear, wishing to face the battalion to its proper front, will command:

62. At these commands, the battalion will return to its proper front by the means prescribed Nos. 54 and 55.

63. The fire by file being that most used in war, the colonel will give it the preference in the preparatory exercises, in order that the battalion may be brought to execute it with the greatest possible regularity.